[Intro]

MEGAN LUEDKE: Hello I’m Megan Luedke.

JENS BRINGSJORD: Good evening, I’m Jens Bringsjord. This is Design Atlas.

[Music: Theme Song]

ML: Tonight:

ML: Optimism in UX. Usability pioneer Jakob Nielsen shares bold predictions about AI and its potential to multiply product design jobs by fivefold in the next 15 years.

JB: Haptic futures. We sit down with Thuy Gia Nguyen-Vu (Thuy Gia Newing   vu), a product designer creating ripples in Oslo with Haptique—a tool revolutionizing how designers craft tactile and touching haptic app experiences.

ML: A closer look at accessibility. We’ll uncover how better alt text practices are helping build a more inclusive web, one image at a time.

JB: And the power of soft skills. In an era dominated by Artificial Intelligence, we explore why communication, problem-solving, and adaptability are more crucial than ever for developers and designers alike in this AI driven world.

JB: Design Atlas, the February 13th edition. The podcast that’s 100% human…

[Music: Theme—Fades Out]

UX OPTIMISM IN 2040

JB: I have a question to ask you: How do you feel about the idea of five times more product design jobs by the year 2040? Sounds like a pipe dream, right? Well, Jakob Nielsen, the usability pioneer himself, thinks otherwise. He recently shared a compelling forecast in one of his latest LinkedIn posts. And, get this—he even wrote a song about it! I’ll give you a taste of that in just a minute.

[Sound Snippet]

JB: Amazing, right? That snippet was from Jakob’s "UX Optimism" anthem. Who knew design projections could be so lyrical? But beneath the fun melody lies a profound message: AI is reshaping the future of UX, but instead of eliminating jobs, it’s creating opportunities.

JB: Jakob predicts that AI will handle up to 75% of design processes in the future. But before you panic, consider this—that very automation is going to demand an entirely new level of human creativity, strategic thinking, and empathy in design. It’s not about fewer jobs; it’s about better, more impactful ones.

JB: Let’s break down some key insights from Jakob’s vision. He talks about a twentyfold demand for good UX design driven by AI. That means companies will need more designers to curate meaningful experiences that AI can’t replicate. It’s about creating that human touch—something AI might assist with but can never fully replace.

JB: And here’s where it gets even more exciting—Jakob estimates five times the job growth in product design by 2040. Imagine that! More work, more creativity, and more opportunities to make a real difference.

JB: But it’s not just about the numbers. It’s about resilience, adaptability, and optimism. Design is at a pivotal moment. And as Jakob’s song lyrics say, “The best UX times are yet to be found!”

JB: So what does this mean for us as designers? First, we need to embrace AI as a partner, not a threat. It’s here to augment our work, not replace us. Second, we need to continuously upskill, focusing on strategic, human-centered design that AI can’t fully replicate. And finally, we need to cultivate an optimistic mindset—one that sees challenges as opportunities.

JB: So, if you want to dive deeper into Jakob Nielsen’s bold predictions, check out his full article titled "AI Impact on UX Jobs." We have the link on our website, designatlaspod.com.

JB: And, of course,we want to hear from you. How do you feel about AI’s growing role in UX? Do Jakob’s predictions excite or concern you? Send us your thoughts via email, hello@designatlaspod.com. 

HAPTIC FEEDBACK, REDEFINED

JB: Creative thinker Thuy Gia Nguyen-Vu, an ambitious senior product designer based in Oslo, Norway, has been reshaping how we think about user experiences by merging creativity with cutting-edge technology. Known for his work on micro-interactions and haptics, Thuy recently introduced Haptique, a tool designed to empower app developers and designers by demystifying haptic feedback. His initiative bridges the gap between design intent and user experience, offering creators an intuitive way to prototype haptics effectively. We reached him in Oslo, Norway.

[Segment 1 Interview]

ML: So your work often focuses on the intersection of design, culture and community. Can you share what inspired the creation of the haptic app and how it aligns with your overall creative philosophy? 

TG: Yeah, I'd love to just. Yeah. Thanks again for having me. It's a great honor to speak here and share my kind of story with you guys. I would say, like, ever since I started off my adventure with apps dates back to 2009. So this is just like two years after Steve Jobs has, like, introduced the world to like, what swiping is and stuff like that. And I just had this intense curiosity for, for apps and, and mobile design in general. And like before that, I was kind of like, doing a lot of web design like most other other designers, and basically having a foot in the mobile mobile industry fairly early, early on.

TG: Like when. Yeah, there was no schools that educated on this. And so that's just the back. I kind of see myself very fortunate to have been working on so many apps for clients and personal projects as well. And each time for each kind of app, like always accelerating, like learning new, new stuff and all that knowledge kind of, opened up so many possibilities for me.

TG: Yeah. And just like this curiosity about, like, what is possible with these insane computers that we walk around with in our pockets? So I think that curiosity is like one kind of, thing that was definitely an inspiring part of of creating haptic, because I've always been, while being an autodidact or a self-taught designer, it kind of feels very natural to kind of dig into details and kind of open up things and see what happens or what comes out, or how I can rebuild it, maybe.

TG: And yeah, I think that's like, when working with apps and the kind of frustration that I very often, kind of bumped into when talking with developers handing over my design, where, yeah, I've heard about things, this thing called haptics. And I know about like haptics in other apps, and I do experience them, but I had no idea, like, what kind of what kind of tools do I have in my toolbox that what kind of what is haptics and how can do you have to have like a can you, can you have it like sharp?

TG: Can you, can you fix it yourself as it defaults? You know. And so I kind of think like that. Maybe that need of, of knowing how to use something because I knew it was within reach, because I've already kind of worked, at that time when I made the app, I've been working like ten, ten years with apps with like consultancy and stuff like that, but still hadn't kind of had tools available to me.

TG: And that was kind of a big frustration where like, yeah, Figma, which is web based, doesn't really allow us to to explore with haptics and haptics is such, it's such, it's definitely a part of the user experience, something that designers should be. It could be that or be a part of the story, like a premium leather wallet.

Maybe, you know, that rich experience where, like, the smell of the leather means something, the color, patina over time to kind of being a designer that has control over that whole experience should be something that we have access to. So it's kind of like this, almost like irritation, like, okay, Figma and sketch before that, such great tools.

TG: But they are not real. They're not like, it's just like fake images, you know, it's just flat images. So that kind of thing just, like, led me down like a rabbit hole with learning Swift UI. So, so I kind of, like, inspired me to like. Okay, so this was also during the pandemic and having a lot of time, time at home and.

TG: Okay. And yeah, this was not my first time trying to learn, code, but SwiftUI. So apples, or iOS is kind of, programing language. It's really kind of declarative. So it's really easy to understand what it's, it's, it's kind of a line of code. So this was kind of a good challenge to learn.

TG: Swift UI and then also solve this irritation that I had when I didn't have access to what haptics I could use in my products. So basically the app, the app haptics that I made, it's basically what is it? I think it's nine buttons today. And each button represents each haptic. That is the default from, from Apple.

TG: So by having this kind of tool, you can kind of tap and kind of fake tap on on Figma and kind of pretend that you're getting that same feedback because it's remembered like haptics is invisible, so they're invisible. It's only something you can feel. So that's like the whole mission here to try to just open up this toolbox for designers and myself so that I know, like, okay, I want this exact haptic. I can tell my developer that and then it can implement it. And then we get, yeah. 

ML: That's great. Were there any like specific challenges, that you encountered while working on it? 

TG: I mean, other than having to learn a whole new language, coding language and understanding the types of haptics that there is. But, what challenges did you encounter  and how did you overcome them?

TG: So actually actually like the haptics themselves is the easiest way. And that was kind of a big surprise for me. Like, I was shocked to learn that, like for a developer, an iOS developer, to implement haptic feedback, it takes like three lines of code that copy paste, that's like all. So I was thinking beforehand before I was thinking like this, this is something that they have to use, like, okay, I shouldn't bother him with that because like we have a deadline, but just three lines of code.

TG: But nobody told me that there was no resource that told me this. Like, for designer, this is what you need to know about haptics. But yeah, definitely learning. Learning Swift UI definitely was a big hurdle. So I, I, yeah, I took a of, kind of SwiftUI courses, kind of dug down into Matos design code course and hacking with Swift and Google my way.

This is also like before. I would like it if you're thinking about learning to code now. Now that you have, chatting party, this is a really good time because yeah, it's so amazing what can be done there. But yeah, definitely kind of just like understanding how to build an app and publish it. Publishing with Xcode is actually kind of, you know, given how Iowa, how kind of intuitive Apple's ecosystem is, like their publishing feels really off. It feels really kind of strange. Yeah, it's really weird. 

ML: So how do you see your work influencing the next generation of designers and, creative thinkers? 

TG: I always loved sharing my knowledge and sharing my kind of experiments with other designers and teaching people. It's just, yeah, it's just the thing I've been doing.

TG: And so I kind of see, like, you know, if I can, can make a tool that. Yeah, makes this world of haptics a little bit more approachable, like, that is something that inspires me a lot. Like, I kind of look through the App Store, downloads over you, over all the countries that have that use haptic.

TG: And there's like one, one person in Kazakhstan that has haptic installed. Right. And that's like, oh, that, that, that brings a lot and a lot of joy for me. Like, oh, there's like one guy or one girl that knows a lot about haptics, you know, and so that's really inspiring to me. And I think it's, along with, with, kind of I do a lot of writing on medium as well.

TG: And, you know, along with doing kind of case studies and stuff like that. It's also, it's also an important kind of way to, to give back to the community because of as a self-taught design, it has so much I have taken inspiration from online, and being able to be in a place where I can give something back to the community as well, that's really important to me and something that that really, yeah, inspires me to, to kind of keep going.

ML: Yeah, for sure. So it seems like collaboration is really a core element of your approach. Could you tell us about any key partnerships or teamwork that have been crucial to this project or others that you worked on? 

TG: There's definitely like, although this was, mainly a solo project. So my ego went out and was like, okay, you have to learn how to develop at least one app in your lifetime.

TG: But there has been so much, so after, after launching, I've kind of been out holding a lot of keynotes around the Oslo area and Norway and just sharing this. There's no doubt that the feedback I've gotten from, from my users and, and, the companies that kind of open up their doors for me to, to come and talk about literature experiences has been kind of a great deal of my passion, at least, at during the project itself, like it's always been, an important part of, again, collaborating with developers.

TG: And yet also the one of the, the kind of goals I have to kind of well, one of the things that also kind of pushed me to learn code more was two panels. So bridge that gap between design and coding, because there's so much that we designers don't have access to. And, just understanding a little bit kind of helps a lot.

TG: So that's definitely helped. Definitely kind of been an important part of this project itself. And having my kind of collaboration with my kind of favorite iOS devs. 

ML: Yeah. What what advice would you give to aspiring designers? Who want to make meaningful impact in their work?

TG: If you have curiosity, you kind of never go empty of inspiration or things to do.You know, being a self-taught designer, this has definitely been like my, my drive to make, to kind of, grow in my career. And, I think like aspiring designers, I think being curious in, in other fields as well, not only digital design or whatever the design field you're in, but also looking at architecture and analyzing or maybe training your eyes to see what works and what doesn't work.

TG: Trying to just kind of take small building blocks with you that you can kind of reuse in your career later on. There's always something you can do, use other, other words, and I think, like, yeah. For instance, last year I read this, loss of UX book by John Jablonski and it's about using psychology to design better products and services.

TG: So this is like all these, building blocks is something I also use in my everyday life as a designer and like trying to make more impactful design with psychology, for instance. So there's always more to learn. Having a curiosity for things outside of your own field is, well, maybe it's, it's more of a life hack for me, but it's definitely, definitely advice.

ML: I love that. That's exactly how I feel as well. You have to be curious. You have to love it. You have to follow your passions a little bit. And just see where it takes you. 

TG:Yeah. And especially with. I, being as, as kind of, being as a it's like as much as, as much AI as we have available now, being curious about that technology, what it can help you with, you know, that's just like the best.

TG: The best are like, you can get so much done with curiosity and AI. So it's so should be so accessible. Yeah. 

ML: You mentioned, earlier on in the interview, that storytelling is, is part of you conveying your ideas? What role do you think storytelling plays in the design process and your design process, and how does it shape, the narrative of your projects?

TG: I think storytelling is, is, is, is crucial for, for anyone working in and design and being able to convey why something is is good or why something would solve things and, solve a problem and in a better way, maybe, but of course, it's like to, to kind of, I've spent many years and trying to learn storytelling and it's been a lot of failing.

TG: It's been a lot of, well, trial and error. But again, I kind of feel it's almost, it's the second part of a designer's job. Like, if you're not able to communicate why your design is the right choice or why it's a problem, then like you, you haven't done you're not done with your job.

TG: Right. And so it's such an important part of yeah, conveying why something works. Because it's so like one of the kinds of challenging things I find with design. And this is something I'm kind of bringing up along with the haptic as well. Like, why is it important to have haptics? Because, yeah, you can feel it.

TG: Like if the haptic is gone like that, people wouldn't necessarily rage quit on your app and delete the app. Right? So like, how much does that ritual experience mean? And yeah, trying to convey like why is it important to have haptics and what is that kind of extra level that you want to reach? And if you can't have it if you don't cannot have the storytelling around, like I can I like to use it like that.

TG:Yeah. Rich, leather wallets, you know, have the patina. It has the smell. You know, if there's maybe a scratch that I got, like, when I was on vacation five years ago, you know, but it's my scratch. It's my scratch now. Well, it has a story to it. So I think a lot of kinds, for example, like.

TG: Yeah, talking about retro experience like that is an example of, of how it can tell a story and how like, yeah, everyone can understand why buying, leather, a leather bound, wallets has more. Well, why is it more expensive? The fake leather one. Right. 

ML: It's the way it looks. It's the way it feels. It's the way it smells. It's everything that is brought to you in that experience. 

TG: Yeah. Exactly. But it's also something. It's also something that you need to train your eyes in as well. Right. So not having like my son that is like three and a half years old, he wouldn't carry you wouldn't care if it was rich leather or not. But so it's it's also kind of down to, to interest as well in kind of like what fits in your life right now, but having that kind of, like having the, the skills to kind of tell a story around that and why something matters.

TG: It's definitely an important part of my design process. And, and it's definitely something that, that the other designers should kind of, spend more time on as well as it's kind of half of half of your job, if not more, you know, to to kind of sum up some of the project, maybe it's a part of the handover, like, why, why is it like this instead of like this?

TG: So it's definitely, I would say like storytelling is definitely a part of my design process. And yeah, shaping the narrative around, like, why something needs to be a certain way. Because again, you kind of need to convey that story. Like with the clients that I learned earlier. Like they need to have the ammunition, to kind of continue to tell your story, that you put so much passion into.

TG: So, yeah, if I had none of that, then, like that project would, just like after I left, they would just share something else, like, yeah, it has the blue button. It's like this and this, like this. So it's definitely. Yeah, if not more and more that the visual design itself is quite important for the design process. Yeah. Yeah.

ML: Absolutely. Well I think that that is a great spot to close this interview with, but it has been a pleasure speaking with you. Thank you for joining us. 

TG: Thank you so much. All right. Bye. 

JB: Thuy Gia Nguyen-Vu is a senior product designer and the creator of Haptique, a tool transforming how app developers and designers approach haptic feedback. And if you want to download the app, you can find it in the iOS app store. We reached him in Oslo, Norway.

SOFT SKILLS IN THE AGE OF AI

JB: AI is here, and it’s not going anywhere. But as it evolves, one thing is becoming crystal clear—if all you bring to the table is technical skills, your job might not be as secure as you think.

JB: For years, developers have relied on their ability to write solid code. But as generative AI improves, it’s starting to handle those tasks faster, cheaper, and—let’s be honest—sometimes even better. Does that mean human developers are obsolete? Absolutely not. But it does mean we need to rethink what makes a great developer in the age of AI.

JB: Enter soft skills. Communication, problem-solving, adaptability—these aren’t just nice-to-haves anymore. They’re what separate a good developer from a great one. Because no matter how advanced AI gets, it can’t replace human judgment, collaboration, or the ability to think critically about complex problems.

JB: The best developers aren’t just writing code—they’re asking the right questions, working seamlessly with designers, and making sure the product actually solves the right problems. The teams that thrive aren’t the ones mindlessly churning through Jira tickets, but the ones stepping back, analyzing the big picture, and making strategic decisions.

JB: And here’s the kicker: improving these core skills doesn’t just help you survive AI’s rise—it makes you better at everything. Strong communication means fewer misunderstandings, better teamwork, and ultimately, better products. Being adaptable means you’re ready for whatever the industry thro ws at you next.

JB: So if you’re wondering what to invest in this year, don’t just focus on learning the next hot framework. Focus on the skills that AI can’t automate. Because in a world where technology is advancing at lightning speed, the most valuable skill you can have is being irreplaceably human

ALT TEXT DONE RIGHT

ML: Alt text—it’s one of the simplest, yet most crucial, aspects of web accessibility. But for years, it’s been misunderstood, misused, or simply ignored. Fortunately, clear guidelines are now available to help developers and designers get it right.

ML: The website HTML5Accessibility.com lays out best practices for using alt text correctly. The key principle? Every image must serve a purpose. If an image conveys essential information—like a chart, a button icon, or a brand logo—its alt text should describe that function clearly. If an image is purely decorative, it shouldn’t have alt text at all. An empty alt="" attribute ensures screen readers skip it, keeping the experience streamlined for visually impaired users.  

ML: The guidelines also tackle trickier scenarios. Take complex images like graphs or maps—alt text alone isn’t enough. Instead, a brief label should be provided, with a more detailed explanation included elsewhere in the content. Similarly, if an image is just reinforcing nearby text, the alt text should be minimal, if not omitted entirely, to avoid redundancy.

ML: There’s also guidance on interactive elements. If a button or link contains only an image, the alt text should describe the action, not just the visual. So instead of “magnifying glass,” a search button should have alt text like “Search” to make its function clear.

ML: And then there are cases where no good alt text is available at the time of publishing. The HTML5Accessibility website guide suggests using the <figure> and <figcaption> elements to provide meaningful context instead. For logos, flags, and icons, the right approach depends on whether the surrounding text already provides the necessary information.

ML: These guidelines aren’t just recommendations—they’re essential for making the web accessible to all users. And as HTML and accessibility standards continue to evolve, websites like HTML5Accessibility.com will remain invaluable resources for staying up to date. So next time you add an image, take a moment to think about its purpose. Because accessibility isn’t just about following rules—it’s about making sure everyone can access the information they need.

[Outro]

JB: You've been listening to the Design Atlas podcast. Our show can be heard every other Thursday on your favorite podcasting app. 

ML: And you can always read more about the stories and conversations we feature on Design Atlas by visiting our website, designatlaspod.com. I'm Megan Luedke. 

JB: And I'm Jens Bringsjord. Good night.